The last God of War I played was GoW3 and I loved it for what it was. There were a couple (I believe) that came after that game, but truly, like many games I played during my hardcore gaming days, God of War became the casualty of my disinterest and/or lack of time for gaming. When the PS4 God of War hit my radar, it immediately struck me as Skyrim meets Kratos; and I'm sure I'm not the only one with said reaction. Kratos' design is different but familiar enough to represent his ps3 days and of course, with a brand new look, toy companies are going to jump in on the idea of putting him in plastic form. Neca was the first on my sights and so here we are with a review for Neca Kratos.
This is my first #Neca action figure. I'm not sure if the rest of the other figures follow this same concept for their box, but one thing is for sure: it's simple, and simplicity is genius. It showcases the figure within while at the same time it shows some in-game art all around the box. The side panels do a good job explaining what one will be getting with the action figure and also more product image.
More in-game art as well as promotional shots of Neca Kratos. The box is well done and it's something that doesn't over do or clutter the entire thing.
Disappointingly, Kratos doesn't come with a ton of accessories. What he comes with seems to be the essentials to represent him in battle. Aside from the obvious need of alternate faces and hands, Kratos is missing the 'retracted' form of his shield that is attached to his left wrist band. Again, the quantity is missing, but quality is there. Each weapon looks great with their own details through sculpting and color shading.
Being a first time Neca buyer, I have to say that I am impressed with the way they handled the God of War protagonist! The body and all the details that goes with him definitely captures the battle-hardened Kratos. The face is stern and definitely fitting for Kratos. Though it could use an alternate face (more on that later). His musculature is defined with the sculpting of his body, which is of course, complimented with all the well sculpted layers of apparel all over him. And these parts are also well detailed and textured. One can tell the difference between his shoulder pad's material and the leather cloth draped around his waist. That same level of crafting is consistent through his clothing which is a delight!
Oddly enough, as we do a 360 on Kratos, more of the sculpted work can be seen, especially on his back where most of his body is covered with clothing.
The paint applications on Kratos is done quite well with different shades of color that truly gives life to many different layers of clothing. The items attached to Kratos doesn't disappear within the darker and earth colored clothing and then those same clothing really stick out from each other because of the color variations that are painted in each one. Kratos' skin color and war paint is his most recognizable feature and they kept that for the new God of War, albeit I don't know if it would still be Kratos without it. In plastic form, his ash colored skin truly stands out and is a good juxtapose to the rest of his dark colored theme. Truly, this action figure's aesthetics are amazing!
Articulation wise, Kratos isn't exactly the most giving, at least not from what I'm used to. The package does mention that this action figure has 36 points of articulation and I suppose it's all there, but there are times he feels so stiff. And no, I didn't have a hard time posing him about, for the most part, the joints acted as they should. What I meant by 'stiff' is that most poses that included some kind of action shot doesn't really look as natural as it should and it's mostly due to the fact that Kratos does not come with any alternate faces. Without anything to express emotions, some of his action shots doesn't look convincing. Again, lack of accessories.
All in all my first experience with Neca is a pleasant one. Kratos' action figure form in their hands looks accurate to his in-game appearance. It has a lot of details and they are done quite well. The weapons he came with are also cared for with some amazing details. He has a few shortcomings with lack of face swap-outs, but all in all, Kratos is a good addition to my collection--even if the God of War has no real place in my Game Room. Though his addition makes me want to play the #PS4 God of War!
Until Next Time!
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